1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heating systems and, more specifically, to a heating recovery apparatus designed to recover lost heat from a primary heating source. The apparatus is used in conjunction with a boiler and/or furnace. The apparatus includes a jacket for a flue having conduit clad in heatsinks and a fan moving air across a channel and discharged into a plenum. The apparatus also includes a fan positioned within to expel gases. An exteriorly positioned fan control mechanism with temperature display is in communication with temperature sensors and serves to activate the fans.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other heat recovery apparatus. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 114,013 issued to R. Jennings on Apr. 25, 1871.
Another patent was issued to S. F. Rizzo on Apr. 14, 1959 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,147,658. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,674 was issued to K. G. Albert on Oct. 8, 1868 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 3, 1979 to Anthony Talucci as U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,303.
Another patent was issued to Ralph H. White on Feb. 2, 1982 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,562. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,959 was issued to Charles F. Laviguer on Apr. 28, 1984. Another was issued to Darrell G. Knoch on Jun. 24, 1986 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,288 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 24, 1986 to Darrell G. Knoch as U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,288.
Another patent was issued to Paul R. Bruenn on May 17, 1994 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,930. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,090 was issued to William J. Teal on Aug. 31, 1999. Another was issued to James R. Stevenson on Jan. 18, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,966.
An international patent was issued to Max Becker on Feb. 27, 1902 as U.K. Patent No. GB 1326. Another international patent was issued to John Everett Bell on Apr. 28, 1919 as U.K. Patent No. GB 125,689
My invention has for its object to furnish an improved apparatus for heating the rooms of a building by introducing into them a supply of pure heated air, and which shall, at the same time, be simple in construction, easily applied, and effective in operation. It consists in the construction of the various parts of the apparatus as hereinafter more fully described. A represents an ordinary stove, and B represents a chimney, which may be made with or without a fireplace, as may be desired. C is a drum, the outer case or shell of which is connected at its lower end with the egress smoke-flue of the stove. The upper end or part of the drum C has a pipe, D, connected with it to conduct the smoke and other heated products of combustion to the chimney B. The ends or heads of the drum C may be made conical, as shown in the drawing, or flat, as may be desired. When the upper head is made conical the pipe D should be connected with its apex; but when made flat the said pipe D may be connected with the said head or with the upper part of the side of the drum C as may be desired.
Broadly speaking, this invention aims to provide novel means for making use of the heat which would otherwise go to waste in the products of combustion proceeding from a stove or similar heater. Another object of the invention is so to construct the device that the air may be forced through it advantageously. Another object of the invention is to supply novel means for cleaning the conduits through which the products of combustion pass. It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.
The invention comprises heat exchanger apparatus and controls for using flue gas heat to heat selected air and directing it to a space to be heated within a predetermined temperature range. The controls include a solenoid actuated by a space temperature controlling thermostat, at its lower temperature limit, so that the solenoid operates an aquastat including a thermostat in the medium that a burner normally heats, to raise the operative temperature range at which the flue gas emanating burner ordinarily turns on and off. When the air directed over the heat exchanger raises the space temperature to its predetermined upper limit, the aquastat acts to return the burner controls to turn the burner on and off, as under ordinary conditions.
A heat-saving attachment in the nature of a jacket surrounding the smoke pipe of a furnace located in a basement or other relatively unheated space. Air is drawn from the unheated space or other area into the annular space between the jacket and smoke pipe, absorbing heat from the exterior of the pipe as it is directed through laterally disposed baffle means within the annular space from whence it is directed through a warm air duct to a space to be heated. Electrical controls may be provided to establish predetermined time delays between turning on and off of the furnace burner and respective on and off controls of an intake fan for drawing air from the unheated space into the jacket.
A heat ventilator for insertion in a flue pipe above stoves and the like, wherein a double walled connector spaces the ventilator from the stove and establishes an annulus heating air delivered into a housing by convection, there being a smooth-walled flue tube extending longitudinally through the housing establishing a passage occupied by a stack of spaced parallel plates transversely disposed and engaged over said flue tube to absorb and dissipate heat into useful air transported by a motor fan through a downwardly open plenum receiving useful air from around said stove and discharging the same over said plates and into a living area.
A heat exchanger and vaporizer adapted for mounting on an existing flue for utilizing heat which is otherwise lost and for providing moisture for space heating and conditioning. The heat exchanger and vaporizer includes a central stack for unimpeded transport of flue gases; a casing, with air inlet and outlet, enveloping the stack; a vaporizer contained within the casing for efficient heat transfer and for room conditioning; and a motor-fan unit for producing an airflow through the casing. The vaporizer is in the form of non-corrosive heat conductive helical tubing for maximizing heat transfer in a given volume, for maintenance free use and for convenience in assembly. The vaporizer is provided with a plurality of vapor vents on its upper surface and a pour spout located externally of the casing.
The heat recovery device includes a section of standard flue pipe carrying a single row of a plurality of hollow, cylindrical heating tubes extending diametrically through the flue pipe section and a separate housing defining an air flow chamber surrounding the portion of the flue pipe section containing the heating tubes. A fan inside the housing draws ambient air into the housing and propels a flow of air toward a heated air outlet, both through the heating tubes and over the outer surface of the flue pipe section. A catalytic combustor for reducing air pollutants and potential creosote deposits is mounted in the flue pipe section upstream of the heating tubes. The flue pipe assembly is removably mounted on the housing so it can be removed in the event it fatigues and/or becomes plugged with carbon or creosote deposits during use. A thermostat on the flue pipe section turns the fan on and off when the temperature in the flue pipe section is respectively above and below a predetermined temperature.
A device for reclaiming waste heat from cooking appliances. The device includes a baffle through which exhaust from the cooking appliance flows, an inlet for receiving exhaust from the cooking appliance, and an outlet for venting exhaust to the atmosphere outside the building or vehicle in which the cooking appliance is located. The baffle extracts heat from the exhaust as the exhaust flows therethrough. The baffle is in thermal communication with a heat sink that directs the extracted heat to the building or vehicle spaces to be heated. The heat reclamation device has a generally thin profile so that the device may be installed above and behind the work surface of the cooking appliance so as to consume a minimal amount of space while not interfering with the normal use of the appliance. The heat reclamation device has means to vent the exhaust directly to the atmosphere, bypassing the baffle.
A heat exchanger for a furnace flue comprises an outer flue jacket having a plurality of axially parallel exhaust gas passages therethrough. The exhaust gas passage tubes are sealed from the remainder of the interior volume of the jacket by a baffle plate at each end thereof. The outer flue jacket is preferably of the same diameter as the flue pipe in the remainder of the system, e.g., six or eight inches, in order to preclude any requirement for adapters. An inlet pipe and an outlet pipe are affixed to opposite ends of the jacket, at some angle (e.g., normal) thereto. Exhaust gases from the furnace pass through the plurality of pipes within the outer jacket, heating the pipes. Airflow within the jacket and outside the pipes, is warmed by contact with the pipes, and flows from the outlet end to be used for warming the interior of the structure in which the unit is installed. A fan may be provided at either the inlet or outlet pipe, preferably at the inlet, to force air through the jacket and around the internal pipes. The fan may be a constant speed unit, or may include a variable speed control, and may be actuated by a parallel circuit to the main furnace blower motor, or by a separate thermostat. Preferably, the rate of flow of air provided by the fan is at least approximately equal to the rate of flow of exhaust gases through the flue, for optimum heat transfer.
A heat exchange device for harnessing heat from an exhaust vent is provided including a furnace having a main inlet for receiving cooled air suctioned from a living area, a heating mechanism for heating the cooled air suctioned from the living area, a main outlet for delivering air to the living area which is heated by the heating mechanism, and an exhaust vent coupled to the furnace for expelling air associated with the generation of heat by the heat mechanism with such expelled air not being fit for channeling to the living air via the outlet. Next provided is a housing which divides the exhaust vent into a lower portion and an upper portion. The housing has an auxiliary inlet in communication with the living area for receiving the cooled air therefrom and an auxiliary outlet in communication with the living area for expelling air thereto. Lastly, a heat transfer mechanism includes a pipe formed in the shape of a helix. In use, the heat transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer heat from the air expelled through the exhaust vent to the air situated within the housing such that the heated air may be directed to the living area.
Air-heating gas stoves; air-moisteners; ovens. —The stove is enclosed within a casing h, which is provided with inlet openings m for air to be heated, outlets n for heated air and gaseous pro-ducts of combustion, a door leading to the oven d, and tubes i for introducing water to the water seals f. Within the casing is a receptacle a, forming a grate or a space for the gas burner, above which are placed in succession the hollow drums b, c, e. Each drum has at its bottom a short open-ended tube dipping into a water seal-mounted on the top of the next lower drum. The largest drum is provided with the hot chamber d for baking, boiling, warming, or the like. If gas is used, the heated air and products of combustion, mixed with water vapour, escape together into the air, and may be drawn off by a fan rotated by the escaping vapours. If solid fuel is used, the heated air and products of combustion are kept separate, the latter being led to a flue.
Water-tube boilers; combined with industrial furnaces, kilns, and ovens; generating by indirect contact of heated gases. In a water-tube boiler heated by the waste gases from an industrial furnace, kiln, or oven, the gases are drawn through the passes among the tubes by a fan so operating that, when the boiler is working at rated capacity, the weight of gas drawn per sq. ft. of average flow area is at least two thousand pounds per hour, and the desired draught is maintained at the outlet from the furnace &c. The Babcock-Wilcox boiler shown has additional rows of tubes and is fitted with vertical baffles 9 arranged so as to give three passes of equal sectional areas. The waste gases enter at the bottom 10 of the front pass and are drawn through the boiler by a fan 13. The inlet 10 may be connected to a by-pass flue leading from the stack of a regenerative open-hearth furnace, and the gases may be discharged through a branch flue 21 opening into the stack, dampers being provided to control the flow of gases into and from the boiler. In a Babcock-Wilcox boiler having 18 transverse rows of tubes and 10 vertical rows and fitted with vertical baffles giving four passes each of 12.2 sq. ft. area, the gases are drawn at a rate of 23,400 lb. per sq. ft. per hour, the draught produced by the fan being 3.1 inches, which, allowing a drop of say 1.32 inches in the boiler, gives a draught of about 1.5 inches at the furnace outlet.
While these heat exchange systems may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.